Liquid and gas contacting apparatus



March 17, 1953 R. c. BAlRD LIQUID AND GAS CONTACTING APPARATUS Filed June 12, 1950 0 a. M W m m VB T m 0 6 w 0 W Patented Mar. 17, 1953 LIQUID AND GAS CONTACTING APPARATUS Raymond C. Baird, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to The Fluor Corporation, Ltd., LosAngeles, Calill, a corporation of California Application June 12, 1950, Serial No. 167,581

3 Claims.

1 This invention relates generally to improve ments in liquid and gas contacting equipment, and is concerned primarily with a novel shellcontained gas cooler particularly adaptable for the quenching of high temperature gases.

One of my major objects is to provide a single shell cooler unit characterized by its large extended gas flow capacity, and ability to withstand the stresses to which the unit may be subjected by reason of wide differentials between the temperature of the inlet gas, and the temperatures to which the gas is quenched in the course of its flow through the system of passage in the shell. Particularly contemplated is a simple baffle arrangement in the shell which serves the dual purpose of directing the gas undergoing cooling in a course of reversing flow axially of the shell, and of reinforcing the shell to effectively resist temperature induced stresses.

In accordance with the invention, the quenching unit, designed for example to cool gases from temperatures as high as 3500 F. to below 100 E'., is constructed of a vertically extended shell which, in contemplated large sizes, may have its bottom portion buried in the ground. The shell contains a plurality of bafile plates extending in vertical planes intersecting the axis of the shell, and so arranged as to divide the shell into a succession of series communicating passages. By welding the baffle plate edges to the shell sides, and also certain of the baiiles to one or both or the preferably convex or hemispherical heads of the shell, the latter becomes rigidly reinforced against warpage or other deformation. As will appear, upon its introduction to a first of the passage sections in the shell, the gas then travels a course of reversing flow between the bafile plates before reaching an outlet leading from a last of the passages.

While it is contemplated that the cooling liquid (ordinarily water) may be introduced in any suitable manner to the gas stream flowingv through the shell passages, I preferably disperse the water in divided condition from a pipe extending axially within the shell at the intersection of the bafile planes, thus locating the pipe so that the water may be sprayed therefrom into any or all of the gas passages. The Water delivery pipe may be further utilized for structural reenforcement oi the assembly, as by Welding it to the shell and baffle plates.

The invention includes various additional features and details all of which will be understood most readily from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention as 2 I shownby the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view somewhat diagrammatical in form, illustrating in perspective the baffle form and arrangement within the shell;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; 1 Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical illustration, in the nature of a developed view, showing the gas flo course through th shell.

As illustrated in the drawing, the shell [0 is, generally cylindrical in form and preferably has. hemispherical top and bottom heads H and I2. Where designed, as contemplated, to accommo date large gas throughputs, the shell may be suitably supported on a concrete foundation 14, as by means of angle flange l5 welded to the shell, with the bottom head l2 thus positioned below the ground level L. High temperature 'gas to be quenched enters the shell through an inlet [6 into which water may be introduced for preliminary quenching Of'the gas, through line ll having branch spray headers l8 within the inlet; .As: best illustrated in Fig. 3, the quenched gas leaves; the shell through an outlet I9 positioned at degrees from the inlet. Entrained liquid may; be removed from the quenched gas by means of a suitable baflle or mist eliminator assembly, generally indicated at 20 carried by support Zill at the inside of the outlet l9. i' The shell contains a pair of bafile plates 2! and 22 lying in the same diametrical plane of the. shell, the lower end of baffle 2| depending at 23'. within a liquid body 24 in the base of the shell; the bottom of bafile 22 terminating above'the liquid level to accommodate the gas flow as later explained. Both baflles 2| and 22 are circularly curved at their upper ends, and baffle 21 has an; arcuate curvature at 25 so that the edges'of the bafiles adjacent the walls and heads of the shell may be welded continuously thereto. The shell contains a second pair of baffles 26 and 21 in a diametrical plane of the shell at right angles to the plane of baflles 2| and 22. Both baffles 26 and 2'! have theirtop edges spaced at 28 from the head I l and both depend at their lower ends w1thin the liquid body 24. The side edges of baffies 26 and 2? are continuously welded to the Cfifigdrma]. and bottom hemispheric walls of the s e As thus arranged, the bafiles divide the shell interior into a succession of passages, or passage sections 30, 3 I, 32 and 33, see Fig. 3, in series commumcation. Thus the hot gas from inlet l6 enters passage 30 and follows the course of the arrows illustrated in Fig. 1. That is to say, the gas rises within passage 30, flows downwardly over the top of baflle 26 through passage 3|, then reverses its flow in passing upwardly beneath the lower edge of bafiie 22 within passage 32, the gas fiow finally being reversed in overflowing the top edge of bafile 21 and downwardly through passage 33 to the outlet l9. As will be understood, the liquid sealing of the bottom ends of baffles 2|, 26 and 21, prevents cross flow between the passages beneath the baflies, and maintains the gas in the illustrated path of fiow. The latter is further illustrated by the diagrammatical showing of Fig. 4 wherein, by developed view, the inlet, bafiies, gas passages and outlet have the same sequence relation as in Figs; 1 to 3.

Quenching water is delivered to any or all of the passages 30 to 33 through feed line 35 connecting with a pipe 36 extending axially within the shell and terminally welded to its heads. It is preferred to cool the gas during its flow through all of the passages by intimate contact with water discharged in finely divided form from the pipe 36. Accordingly, the latter is shown to be provided with a series of apertures of spray nozzles 37, one series for each of the pas sages 30= to 33, and from which the water is sprayed outwardly into intimate cooling contact with the gas. All unvaporized water collects in body 24 within the base of the shell. Pipe 36 may be plugged at '38 intermediate its ends, and the lower portion slotted at 39 to provide openings through which the liquid 24 drains to the discharge line 40. Vanes 4! projecting radially from the pipe 36 withinthe bottom of the shell, serve to prevent swirling of the liquid 24 to the extent of forming a vortex at the outlet.

The water is discharged from the shell through line 40 to an underground header 42, thence to be discharged by pumps 43 to line 44 which may connect either directly, or indirectly as through acooler when sealed, with the water supply line 35.

It. will be noted that'during its fiow through alternate passages or passage sections, the gas is being passed in counterfiow relation with the downwardly showered water, thus promoting cooling eficiency in accordance with the counter-- fiow'principal.

Finally it is pointed out that ordinarily the function of the water sprays within the inlet I6 is to produce. a relatively quick quenching or wi'deirange cooling of the gas and to a point of substantial moisture saturation of the gas. Thereafter, as thegas is further and progressive- 1y. cooled, the gas is dehydrated from its condition ofearlier saturation at higher temperature.

I claim:

1. A liquid and gas contactor comprising a vertically extending cylindrical shell, a first baflie plate secured to the inside of the shell and extending in an axial plane theerof, a second baflle plate secured tothe inside of the shell and extending in an axial plane thereof at right angles with. the first plate, said plates dividing the'shell interior into four vertically extending and seriescommunicating passage sections, a first of said sections having an inletrfrom which gas passes upwardly and downwardly in flowing through all the sections to an outlet in a fourth of said passages in the order of series fiow therethrough, one of said plates being joined at its upper edge to the top of the shell and terminating at its lower edge above a body of liquid in the base of the shell, and the other plate terminating at its upper edge below the top of the shell and depending within said body of liquid, and a feed pipe-extending axially within the shell/at the intersection of said planes and having openings through which liquid is sprayed into the gas as it flows through said passage sections.

2. A liquid and gas contactor comprising a verticall extending cylindrical shell, a first baflle plate secured to the inside of the shell and extending in an axial plane thereof, a second bafile plate secured to the inside of the shell and extending in an axial plane thereof at right angles with the first plate, said plates dividing the shell interior into four vertically extending and series-communicating passage sections, a first of said sections having an inlet from which gas passes upwardly and downwardly in flowing? through all the sections to an outlet in av fourth:

of said passages in the order of series flow therethrough, a feed pipe extending axially within the shell at the intersection of said planes and having openings through which liquid is sprayed into the gas as it flows through. said passage sections, means for feeding water to said pipe, and a drain pipe axially alined with said feed pipe and extending from the bottom of the shell.

3. A liquid and gas contactor comprising a ver-' tically extending cylindrical shell, a first baflie. plate secured to the inside of the. shell and extending in an axial plane thereof, a secondbafiie" plate secured to the inside of the shell and extending in an axial plane thereof at right. angles with the first plate, said plates dividing the shell interior into four vertically extending and, series-communicating passage sections, a-first. of said sections having an. inlet from which gas passes upwardly and downwardly in flowing through all the sections to an outlet in a fourth. of said passages in the order of series fiow therethrough, a feed pipe extending axially within the shell at the intersection of said planes and having openings through which liquid is sprayed into the gas as it flows through said passage sections, means for feeding water to said pipe, a drain pipe axially alined with said feed pipe and extending from the bottom of the shell, and baffle means in the bottom of the shell below said plates and preventing eddy flow of liquid accumulating therein.

RAYMOND C. BAIRD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 415,646 Kusnezov Nov. 19, 1889 1,704,518 Slater Mar. 5, 1929 2,228,128 Schmalenbach Jan. 7, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 Number Country Date" 323,474 Germany July 27', 1920 709,008 Germany Aug. 4, 1941 

